Award honors Women Helping Women

Leah Lindsay will be presented with Soroptimist International of Kalispell’s Ruby Award for Women Helping Women at the club’s annual dinner March 22 at the Red Lion Hotel Kalispell.

A no-host social bar begins at 5:30 p.m., followed by a buffet dinner at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $45 and can be purchased at Woodland Floral and Paper Chase in Kalispell. The reservation deadline is March 16; seating is limited.

Lindsay is being recognized for her dedication to numerous organizations, including being a board member for the Abbie Shelter and Violence Free Crisis Line, her involvement with Big Brothers Big Sisters, the Nurturing Center and the Conrad Mansion, and her nonprofit work with such local theatrical productions such as “The Vagina Monologues” and “Notable Heroines of America.”

She also is very involved with the Flathead Building Association and a member of Biz-to-Biz and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

Lindsay has worked for Bee Broadcasting for 15 years and is also an agent for Aflac Insurance.

“Lindsay’s work with the Violence Free Crisis Line and Abbie Shelter exemplify what is truly a woman helping women and what the Ruby Award and Soroptimist mission stands for,” said Diane Yarus, president of Kalispell Soroptimists — “By celebrating women who work in extraordinary ways through their personal and professional activities to better the lives of women and girls.”

Lindsay will be awarded $500 for the organization of her choosing and will be eligible for awards at other levels of Soroptimist International.

The Ruby Award dinner will include a raffle for several gift baskets. Attendees are encouraged to bring new or gently used bras to the event. Each bra donated is worth one raffle ticket.

The bras are part of the Soroptimist “Free the Girls: Fight Human Trafficking” project. The bras will be donated to women rescued from sex trafficking in Mozambique, who will use them to start their own small business through reselling the bras in their village, enabling them to support themselves and their families.

The event also will honor three other Soroptimist Kalispell award winners.

Tess Brenneman, a senior at Flathead High School, will be awarded the $1,500 Past Presidents Scholarship.

Payton Pietron, a junior at Flathead, will receive the Violet Richardson Award for her work with Flathead CARE’s STAND (Students Taking Action Not Drugs Club) at her high school. Both Flathead CARE and Pietron will receive $400.

Jamie Lynn will receive the $1,500 Women’s Opportunity Award.

For more information, contact Yarus at 751-2175 or email sikalispell@soroptimist.net.